Hyphens

Hyphens are smaller than dashes and used to divide or join words.

Hyphens are used to divide words at the end of the line. When you are writing and run out of room on the line, you can't just put a hyphen any where. The hyphen must divide the word between syllables. If you're not sure of syllable divisions, check a dictionary.ex. tel-e-phone con-nec-tion sim-plis-tic Hyphens are used in compound adjectives before a noun, but not when they follow a noun. ex. dark-blue sweater five-piece band 16-year-old driver , but not a driver who was 16 years oldUse hyphens for some compund nounsand verbs and for all words with the prefixes all-, and self-ex. sister-in-law cross-reference all-inclusive self-helpUse hyphens for fractions written as words and for compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.ex. three-quarters eighty-three